Bill Maher doesn’t know how science works

[MichaelMay]

Let me start off by saying, I’ve watched bill for decades from politically incorrect, religulous, to real time. I would say that I, probably like a lot of people, like him for bringing in a slightly different view of things and pointing out some obvious flaws in logic.

However, lately his rants have been more like repeating of Republican talking points, specifically blaming social media trends for Democratic behavior. But in his latest episode, his rant basically complained about how science isn’t consistent and how representatives of scientific institutions (the CDC for example) have changed their recommendations (he then gave examples), he then declared, essentially, that not only that we shouldn’t listen to them but that they are the ones spreading misinformation.

Does bill not understand how science works? You go with the best information you have and you keep testing it and when new info is found you update your recommendations. Apparently updating such things means you’ve been spreading misinformation. So should we now expect science to never change its findings? Of course not! So how can a seemingly smart guy not see the giant flaw in his thinking?

If it’s not old age (which Maher gets super offended by when it’s brought up) then explain how he got this so wrong?

I post this because I believe Maher is like millions of other Americans (maybe humans in general), some of which I’ve personally witnessed make a similar decline in their cognitive capabilities and I feel like I’m witnessing his decline in real time (did you see what I did there?). If we can understand Maher, perhaps we can understand others.

I wrote a post about this three months ago, I think it was the first post I ever wrote here. Not about Bill Maher but about people not getting that science isn't a constant but always changing to the best evidence available. It is necessary to do so because it's honest and it's the truth and if we don't have that we cannot have science at all.

The people who expect a steadfast position from science do not know what science is, it is a method that is always in action and always progressing to find better answers.

Or, in short, I agree.

 

[Bitek]

Not so defined by whom? Nice dream you have there. The center of the Democratic party will bring no real change. The authoritarian left will help the right stay in power. Only true progressives that aren't triggered by fear have any political change that can make a real difference. Those are all based on Democratic ideals. Equality not based on gender identity, justice based on the recognition that not everybody in your own tent can't be guilty of things, equality of opportunity, not of outcome, etc etc etc. There are the woke and then there are the real woke who appropriated the name.

No they won't. They'll make a bunch of noise on Twitter, crucify those that don't pass their purity tests, and generally drive the middle away from them.

Only hope is that the right outcrazies them, but the right is much better at winning that game, so it's not much hope.

In other such news, activists drive Awkafina off twitterer after a "blaccent" controversy. America is not a melting pot, but segregated racial microcultures which must be defended to the twitter death.
https://www.avclub.com/awkwafina-addresses-accusations-of-cultural-appropriation

 

[ivwshane]

Has there ever been a Twitter user anyone cared about? From the sound of it, it seems like you guys need the approval of random, often unverified, sometimes anonymous, Twitter users.

Get the fuck off social media, it’s rotting your brain!

 

[Bitek]

Back to the OP,


No, Bill doesn't understand how science works, nor do most ppl honestly.

For such an outspoken atheist, he talks like he expects divine certainty from science.

Complaining that recommendations change, and what was thought to be effective isn't it's not a problem with science, it's the sign it's working.

He expressed the same paternal attitude towards FDA. Everyone wants Daddy FDA to protect them and remove all risk, then turn around and complain that treatments here come so slowly, and at so much higher expense....

 

[Moonbeam]

No they won't. They'll make a bunch of noise on Twitter, crucify those that don't pass their purity tests, and generally drive the middle away from them.

Only hope is that the right outcrazies them, but the right is much better at winning that game, so it's not much hope.

In other such news, activists drive Awkafina off twitterer after a "blaccent" controversy. America is not a melting pot, but segregated racial microcultures which must be defended to the twitter death.
https://www.avclub.com/awkwafina-addresses-accusations-of-cultural-appropriation

How is cultural appropriation rage any different than white supremacists’ fears of being replaced?

 

[Moonbeam]

Back to the OP,


No, Bill doesn't understand how science works, nor do most ppl honestly.

For such an outspoken atheist, he talks like he expects divine certainty from science.

Complaining that recommendations change, and what was thought to be effective isn't it's not a problem with science, it's the sign it's working.

He expressed the same paternal attitude towards FDA. Everyone wants Daddy FDA to protect them and remove all risk, then turn around and complain that treatments here come so slowly, and at so much higher expense....

I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but what I see is that my opinion of everything I judge to have value or not depends on one simple thing. I am listening to a genuine gold mine if what is being said agrees with the ten thousand pounds of cabbage I call reality, or that it’s utter horse shit because it nibbles away at a singe precious leaf. Study carefully what I say if you want to be right. In this I am sure am totally different than other people.

 

[ivwshane]

How is cultural appropriation rage any different than white supremacists’ fears of being replaced?

I don’t see a difference but I’d have to ask, who, specifically, is raging about cultural appropriation?

 

[Moonbeam]

I don’t see a difference but I’d have to ask, who, specifically, is raging about cultural appreciation?

Not me. I clap at the Opera and the Ballet.

 

[cytg111]

How is cultural appropriation rage any different than white supremacists’ fears of being replaced?

Mathematical set theory says yes. Very different. One set is a superset of two while the second is a subset of the one.
A liberal frame of mind contains himself AND the supremacist
A supremacist frame of mind only contains himself.
And here you are, on some supreme quest of the all knowing, self identifying as The Alfa and The Omega, to educate the the libs that they just dont understand the nazi’s well enough - all while being strangled by them.
Moonies last words while being strangled to death by a neo nazi: I forgive you son, god(I) loves you. <death>.
I for one will not be drinking that coolaid’.

 

[Moonbeam]

Mathematical set theory says yes. Very different. One set is a superset of two while the second is a subset of the one.
A liberal frame of mind contains himself AND the supremacist
A supremacist frame of mind only contains himself.
And here you are, on some supreme quest of the all knowing, self identifying as The Alfa and The Omega, to educate the the libs that they just dont understand the nazi’s well enough - all while being strangled by them.
Moonies last words while being strangled to death by a neo nazi: I forgive you son, god(I) loves you. <death>.
I for one will not be drinking that coolaid’.

Can't say as I blame you. You sound like you are already contentedly sated. As a citizen of Europe, is it one of those countries the Nazis walked all over by any chance or are you expressing a pride in belonging to the EU. You know what Einstein said about patriotism and nationalism. I love Europe, you know.

Hope this might help.

 

[cytg111]

Can't say as I blame you. You sound like you are already contentedly sated. As a citizen of Europe, is it one of those countries the Nazis walked all over by any chance or are you expressing a pride in belonging to the EU. You know what Einstein said about patriotism and nationalism. I love Europe, you know.

Hope this might help.

Expressing pride? I am proud of my daughters, beyond that...
I'd like to be proud of humanity ... but bitches you know? Bitches.

 

[Moonbeam]

Expressing pride? I am proud of my daughters, beyond that...
I'd like to be proud of humanity ... but bitches you know? Bitches.

Just wondering. Seems not a few European nations are not to proud of their Nazi sympathizing past. Seems like they are quick to throw Nazi charges about as you have done to me. You provided no clarification. Just wondering, an oversight or avoidance, possible, or no?

 

[cytg111]

Just wondering. Seems not a few European nations are not to proud of their Nazi sympathizing past. Seems like they are quick to throw Nazi charges about as you have done to me. You provided no clarification. Just wondering, an oversight or avoidance, possible, or no?

Where did I call you a Nazi?

I dont feel more responsibility for Nazism as I do any other atrocity committed by man since forever, whereever.

 

[Moonbeam]

Where did I call you a Nazi?

I dont feel more responsibility for Nazism as I do any other atrocity committed by man since forever, whereever.

You didn’t call me a Nazi? Thank goodness for that. Probably I feel like one and was projecting. I notice that while l love Europeans and all nationalities too, seeing as how we are all human and everything, I do note you didn’t say what country makes you a citizen of Europe. That means I can’t validate or disprove the suspicion I suggested earlier even if only coincidence. No matter.

Also, while you are certainly not responsible for the sins of the world I believe you unconsciously believe you are. I know that seems unlikely.

 

[ivwshane]

Not me. I clap at the Opera and the Ballet.

You got me. I would have hoped that you of all people would have been understanding of a spelling (phone typing mistake).

 

[cytg111]

You didn’t call me a Nazi? Thank goodness for that. Probably I feel like one and was projecting. I notice that while l love Europeans and all nationalities too, seeing as how we are all human and everything, I do note you didn’t say what country makes you a citizen of Europe. That means I can’t validate or disprove the suspicion I suggested earlier even if only coincidence. No matter.

Also, while you are certainly not responsible for the sins of the world I believe you unconsciously believe you are. I know that seems unlikely.

Its 100% irrelevant in that context. I write that in my sig as a disclaimer as this board is heavily tilted towards us politics. I write that in my sig cause I identify as an European before actual country of origin. I write that in my sig because I welcome a bigger broader union wih any country that aspires to freedom peace democracy and individual rights.
What you are looking for is not there. Again.

Also, of course I am, so are you. The only way this is gonna work is if I take responsibility for all of you and all of you take responsibility for me.

 

[Moonbeam]

You got me. I would have hoped that you of all people would have been understanding of a spelling (phone typing mistake).

I got you because I want you to know that I am not emotionally reacting to you in this conversation as I sense others are reacting to me. I am not angry with you, disappointed you don’t agree, etc. I do need you to see. I am inwardly happy to see what I see and I want to share that with you. I sense you and you and you are holding on and I let go. Have a strawberry. The situation is hopeless. Relax and enjoy. We have but a moment. There is nowhere to go, nothing to do, nothing to become. I want to laugh, not at you but with you.

Of course I knew it was a fuck up spelling for this or that reason. I had to look on a search engine for how to spell it. My spelling and my spelling corrector wouldn’t even match up and I doubt I could spell it right right now. I was t even sure it was the word I was looking for. The whole idea is a joke to me. So I would be the one raging against it and not because I needed help from anybody else.

You know what Gandhi said about Western Culture.

Racism is the process by which people who have had their natural being joy destroyed in childhood by being put down, attempt to recover a false sense of self importance by imagining there is something about them that is both valuable and visibly different. It can be anything but it marks group identity. It is of no relevance at all to people who love themselves, have understood the nature of their true inner being. Anyone attached to a cultural difference they impute with personal plus group identity and feels robbed by someone who wants to so called appropriate it (Yay, I spelled it) is mentally I’ll in my opinion. And this is why I believe that is so.

I am not upset that anybody in my culture adopts whatever crumbs my culture has to offer. I am a cultural accident. My culture is sick. It made me sick. Have at it. Eat your fill. What a world. ‘This is my collection of sacred garbage, not yours.’ And hidden deep within is a cornucopia of riches waiting for the day when it can explode into the light.